The invention relates to a weather-tight storage device and carrier for a single or multiple fishing rods and reels that is releasably mounted to a vehicular roof carrier rack. When not mounted on a vehicle, the storage device and carrier is manageable enough to be hand-carried and may also serve as a stand or storage facility for the rods and reels.
Carriers for fishing rods and reels are well known in the art, including vehicle-mounted carriers. The vehicle-mounted fishing equipment carriers range from those that mount directly onto the vehicle via various mounting devices to those that mount onto vehicle roof racks. While both methods offer conveniences, roof-rack mounted carriers are often more desirable since roof mounting offers secure transport without interfering with the driver's vision.
Many vehicles come from the factory with general-purpose vehicular roof racks installed. For those vehicles not having factory-installed roof racks, after-market roof racks for assorted and specific applications are also available. Since roof racks come in several configurations, it is important to make a fishing equipment carrier adaptable for mounting onto the various roof rack configurations.
While these vehicle roof racks provide a convenient and efficient means for transporting fishing rods and reels, the roof of a vehicle is exposed to numerous contaminants and weather-related elements. Debris from the road, dust, insects, grime, oil, water, ice and many other elements can come into contact with the fishing rods and particularly the reels, significantly impairing the performance of, or destroying the rods and reels.
Once the user is ready to use or store the fishing rods and reels, either the carrier or the fishing rods and reels must be detached or unfastened from the vehicle. Fishing equipment may be bulky and awkward or difficult to handle as individual components. Moreover, if several fishing rods and reels are being transported, safe and expeditious transport may not be possible. Thus, it is advantageous to utilize the vehicular carrier to hand-carry the fishing equipment to and from the vehicle. It is also desirable that the carrier be adaptable for use as a support stand so that the same transport device may be used to store and carry the fishing rods and reels throughout all stages of the transport and storage process.
There is therefore a need for a fishing rod and reel storage device and carrier capable of receiving a single or multiple fishing rods and reels that is adaptable for mounting on a vehicular roof rack and that is resistant to weather and contaminants while readily fastenable and removable from the roof rack for subsequent hand-carried transport. There is also a need for a fishing rod and reel storage device and carrier adaptable for use as a support stand for supporting the fishing rods and reels when the rods and reels are not in use.